The Golden State’s strict approach to gun control has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the San Bernardino shootings.

Recent curbs on access to firearms and limitations on certain gun features appeared to have made little or no impact on the terrorists’ ability to obtain and use their arsenal. The closure of the so-called “gun show loophole,” for instance, didn’t stop legal guns from illegally winding up in their hands. Enrique Marquez, neighbor of killer Syed Rizwan Farook, “bought the two semiautomatic rifles legally, authorities say. But the weapons were later given to Farook without a recording by a federally licensed firearms dealer, as required under California law,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

California’s special protections against arming the mentally unwell did not come into play either. “The FBI said Farook legally bought the two handguns used in the attack — purchases that would have required a background check. And there is no indication he or Malik had any criminal record or history of mental illness that would have triggered California’s unique law allowing authorities to seize weapons from those who aren’t allowed to own them,” noted ABC News.

Golden State gun laws fell short of expectations in another way as well. “While California laws typically forbid the sale and possession of rifles of the sort used by the shooters, the assault-style rifles in Wednesday’s attack had a button mechanism to release their ammunition magazines, which made them legal to possess in California — an exception sometimes referred to as the ‘bullet button loophole,'” according to the Huffington Post. ” Some gun makers in California specialize in manufacturing assault-style rifles that comply with California state law,” added HuffPost. “But even if the bullet button loophole did not exist and possessing assault-style rifles of any kind had been illegal from the get-go, the shooters could have saved themselves the trouble of trying to modify their weapons by simply traveling to a different state.”

Across state lines

That dynamic quickly became a point of contention between California and Arizona officials. In France for the Paris climate talks, Gov. Jerry Brown slammed Nevada and Arizona lawmakers for creating a “gigantic back door through which any terrorist can walk” with “wide open” gun laws. “Because guns used in the attack were purchased legally in California, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey immediately shot back, calling Brown’s comments an ‘out of bounds’ attempt ‘to politicize a tragedy,'” the Phoenix New Times noted. “Not only will we be ignoring Brown’s advice, but I call on him to retract his incredibly thoughtless and ill-advised comments,” said Ducey. Although the number of so-called “crime guns” flowing into California from neighboring states has doubled in a decade, “the vast majority of guns used to commit crimes in California originate in the state,” the Huffington Post observed.

Constituencies on both sides of the gun debate have responded true to type. While supporters of light or moderate restrictions suggested that the facts of the San Bernardino shootings underscored the fruitlessness of tougher rules, advocates of stronger gun controls pushed for more federal regulations. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told PBS that “we need a national gun law so that there is no thought that even though one state may have good laws you can buy guns in another place.”

Self defense

Meanwhile, gun purchases have risen among Southern California residents themselves. “As politicians and gun-control advocates have seized on the San Bernardino shooting as a reason to restrict firearm access, many of those on the front lines of the tragedy are seeking to arm themselves,” the Times reported.

“San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Adam Cervantes said 75 applications for concealed-weapons permits were submitted last weekend, about seven times the department’s normal application volume. Orange County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Jeff Hallock said his office saw 130 applications for concealed-weapons permits last weekend, up from the roughly 30 applications that typically come in.”

10 comments

When I retired as a Law Enforcement manager nearly 21 years ago, the first thing I did was move out of California the very day I retired. One of the main reasons was the legislature passing laws that I could no longer enforce with a clear conscience. It got even worse after I left, and just like then, those inane laws don’t make one bit of difference to those who habitually break the law, or those bent on causing harm to others.

In the state I live in now, I chair a group of over 150 retired Law Enforcement officers, with over 95% of them moving here from California. Each and every one of them says they moved for the same reasons I did. Until politicians wake up and actually start representing their constituents, there will be more and more distrust of government.

More “gun laws” will only hurt those who obey the law on a daily basis, but will have no effect at all on the already lawless. It makes no sense at all to make the populace defenseless when there is a constantly growing need for just the opposite.

“Until politicians wake up and actually start representing their constituents, there will be more and more distrust of government.”

It’s actually worse than that. In Commiefornia the politicos actually do represent their zombified, uninformed, ethically challenged, numbskull constituents. The majority of residents here get the government they deserve. The rest of us not so much.

Congratulations on having escaped this progressive fascist gulag. I look forward to the day when I can skedaddle out of this insane asylum, hopefully before the place is completely ruined by the overlords in Excremento.

Thank you for your valuable comment. I too am thinking of moving away from this insanity. Besides the liberal left attack on our 2nd Amendment Constitutionally guaranteed civil rights, California has experienced an explosion of drifters with mental illness and substance abuse issues who have invaded towns throughout the State. They are camping on public right of ways on the outskirts of our towns, degrading the environment with their human waste and trash. Loitering on our streets forcing their dysfunction on society. This problem is a direct result of the liberal left “strengthening”,thru.court interpretation, the civil rights of these drifters protecting their life of dependence co-enabled thru government assistance. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi and the rest spend their valuable time working on more Taxs or more gun laws to make law abiding citizens become soft targets. Yep, California is a beautiful state but you can’t fix Stupid. Our legislators have some real problems to address, broken welfare system, SSI abuse, illegal camping, drug addiction and mental health. Guns just provide an excuse why they can’t work on the real problems.

Commiefornia has 12% of the nations population but 33% of it’s welfare case load. This states DemocRat congressional delegation got a waiver from Newt Gingrich’s welfare reform bill in the 90’s. We are a veritable paradise for crazies, kooks, deadbeats, crooks, welfare scammers and every conceivable kind of parasite. The DemocRats like it that way because it means more drone voters to support the party of free stuff for losers.

Gavin Newsroms brains must be the size of a pea California already has the strictest gun control laws in the 48 states yet still its not enough for this pinhead I jess next he;ll be demanding the repeal of the 2nd AMENDMENT which his coruptt party(Demacrats)already despise and airhead Martin OMalley wants Obama the Fink to confisscate all guns using a Executive Order Frankly Moonbeam Brown,Gravelhead Newsrom(Sonnds like a name from The Flintstones)as well as wishy washy Kerry and Obama the Fink need to Leave America Now

I see a day in day in California when Apostles of the religion of peace go on a suicide mission into a gun free area, and behead everyone inside. They were no doubt motivated by the sight of a Jew buying Matza bread at Safeway, and a scruffy 8 year old eating pork rinds while sitting outside the store. Oooh, the nerve. Time to sharpen the knives. They are not all to blame for the reaction to the Judaic- Christain microaggression. Progressives will chalk up a victory that no guns were used in the unique celebration.

I have many friends in LE most of who I have known since before the joined LE. Most are close to retiring and some have retired. With extremely limited exception they are planning on leaving or have already left CA generally for WY, WA, OR and AZ. And they all cite the same reasons contained herein. My wie and I would leave but she is still working and our kids and grand kids are here.

By my estimate there were at least 6 laws broken before the ever fired a shot. And that doesn’t count the neighbor not reporting to LE about his knowing of another attack planned for 2012. It also does not count the gross failure of the feds on the failed VISA background check and Terrorist Watch list.

Liberal insanity reins supreme in CA and the proposed new gun regs shoudl beg the question of what the democrats REAL agenda is as it is not about protecting the public.